AMERICAN LEAGUE
AP, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA
Dan Johnson stunned Boston again, hitting a leadoff homer in the 10th inning to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox on Saturday.
Johnson sent a 2-2 pitch from Scott Atchison (2-2) into the right-field stands for his second clutch home run against the Red Sox in three years. Johnson is best known for a game-tying shot off closer Jonathan Papelbon on Sept. 9, 2008, that keyed an important comeback win en route to Tampa Bay’s only American League pennant.
Randy Choate (4-3) retired David Ortiz with a runner on first and two outs in the 10th.
YANKEES 12, WHITE SOX 9
In Chicago, C.C. Sabathia became the majors’ first 18-game winner and Marcus Thames hit two of New York’s four homers in a win over Chicago.
Eduardo Nunez hit his first career homer and drove in four runs for New York. Nick Swisher connected for a two-run drive and Robinson Cano had three hits.
Sabathia (18-5) struck out nine in seven innings, but allowed five runs and nine hits.
The Yankees got off to a fast start against John Danks (12-9), belting two-run homers in each of the first three innings to build a 6-1 lead.
In other AL action, it was:
• Blue Jays 5, Tiigers 0
• Athletics 5, Rangers 0
• Indians 4, Royals 3, 10 innings
• Twins 1, Mariners 0
• Orioles 5, Angels 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
AP, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Shane Victorino had two of Philadelphia’s three hits, including a go-ahead triple off Jon Garland in the seventh inning, as the Philadelphia Phillies won their second straight game against the National League West-leading San Diego Padres, 3-1 on Saturday.
The Phillies, 13-2 against NL West teams, protected their wild-card lead, which was a half-game over San Francisco at the start of Saturday. San Diego, which has lost three straight games for only the second time this season, led the Giants by six.
Brad Lidge pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save in 23 chances. On Friday night, Lidge balked in the tying run with two outs in the ninth, but the Phillies won 3-2 in 12 innings.
Jayson Werth scored on both of Victorino’s hits. Victorino, the center fielder, also threw out Nick Hundley at the plate to end the fifth.
Joe Blanton (6-6) held the Padres to one run and six hits in six innings. Blanton and three relievers retired the final 11 San Diego batters.
NATIONALS 14, CARDINALS 5
In Washington, Adam Dunn broke out of a prolonged slump with a homer and five RBIs to lead Washington to a victory over St Louis.
Dunn was in an 8-for-66 skid over 20 games when he doubled home two runs for a 4-3 Nationals lead in a four-run third inning. With the score tied at 5 in the fifth, Dunn hit a three-run shot, his 32nd of the season and first since Aug. 11.
Livan Hernandez (9-9) allowed five runs in six-and-a-third innings to win for the first time in five starts.
In other AL action, it was:
• Rockies 5, Dodgers 3
• Cubs 3, Reds 2
• Braves 12, Marlins 3
• Astros 4, Mets 1
• Brewers 8, Pirates 7
• Diamondbacks 11, Giants 3
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Francesco Bagnaia yesterday profited from a mistake by rookie Pedro Acosta to win the Japan MotoGP sprint and close the gap on overall championship leader, Jorge Martin. Spaniard Acosta crashed with four laps to go while leading the field at Motegi, allowing defending world champion Bagnaia to take first ahead of Enea Bastianini and Marc Marquez. Spain’s Martin finished fourth and saw his overall lead over Italian Bagnaia in the championship standings cut to 15 points. “I am very happy because with these conditions, it’s not very easy to win and gain points,” Bagnaia said after a sprint race that took place under
Naomi Osaka is braced for a “battle” after yesterday setting up a clash with Coco Gauff in the round-of-16 of the China Open, while top seed Aryna Sabalenka also marched on. Osaka defeated 60th-ranked American Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 and next faces Gauff in a showdown of former US Open champions in Beijing. World No. 2 Sabalenka swatted aside Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-2 for her 14th consecutive victory and plays another American in 24th-ranked Madison Keys. Looking ahead to the Gauff meeting, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka said: “She’s very athletic, obviously.” “For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve,
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